Third in Line
by Isame Kuroda
Summary: The time to appoint the new heir has come. Can Kurosaki Ichigo overcome the challenge(s) to become the next Card Master?
1. Chapter 0

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach**** or Card Captor Sakura****. Any concept you did not recognised may or may not belong to me, however.**

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0.

Prologue

The door to the office opened, and two otherworldly beings entered the room. The first being was a fierce-looking mountain lion with the eyes of molten gold. The second being was an androgynous beauty clad in white with blue accent; his long, silver tresses went past his ankles. The two sauntered over toward the young, auburn-haired maiden standing in front of the large window, her back facing them.

''What are you doing Sakura-chan?'' Kero, the golden lion, inquired.

''Hmm, I am just adjusting some spell in my successor's wand.'' She replied without looking up from her task.

In a flash of golden light, Kero shifted into his false form, a yellow teddy bear with white wings, and peer over their mistress' shoulders to take a closer look at her work. He frowned. ''That does not look like a wand at all.'' He stated matter-of-factly.

The so-called-wand's form resembled the Sword when it was still a Clow Card. However, as opposed to gold, the elegant rapier's colour was silver, which glinted in bluish hues under the moonlight. In addition, instead of Clow's wings emblem, the sword-wand hilt and hand-guard took the form of twin crescent moons and half-sun, respectively. Two blue gems decorated the sword-wand tapered tip and the end of its hilt.

''What kind of a person is your successor to use such unusual wand like this?'' Yue inquired.

''He is the kind of a person that protect his family and friends with all his being.'' Sakura said. ''For that purpose, he strive to become strong, even though, it end up drifting him apart from the people he is trying to protect. He also can be easily depress when he fail on what he thought are his duty. He will be fall apart if they are hurt.''

Kero harrumphed, folding his tiny paws across his chest. ''Sound like he will be a handful''

''Are you really going to trust our fate and the cards' to him?'' Yue inquired.

''He is a good boy. I believe that he will take care of you like he take care of his love ones. The boy has a long, difficult path in front of him. He is special. That is why, when the time comes, I want you to be there and help him. Make sure that he will not forget about what is the most important. Without correct guidance, he will become a sword, a murder tool that cut his foes following a well-worded order.''

''He is not stupid in any sense, he just never follow sense when the safety of the persons he care about is threatened.''

''Hmm, so all we have to do is cheering him up when he is down and make sure that nobody manipulate him for their own gain? All right, that is easy!'' Kero said, puffing up his chest in confident. ''Leave it to me Sakura-chan.''

''Worry not Sakura-chan, we will help him as best as we can.'' Yue said.

''Thank you very much you two, I know I can count on you.'' Sakura smiled.

''Sakura-chan, I am hungry, can we eat now? Moony will not let me near the food if you are not there.'' The lion-turned-teddy-bear pouted sullenly.

''If I let you near the food, there will be nothing left for us.'' Yue said flatly, earning him a glare from his older brother.

Sakura laughed. ''Well then, let us go get dinner.'' She said, placing the sword-wand inside a case and closed it before walking out from the office with her guardians in tow.

''By the way Sakura-chan, what is the name of your successor?'' Kero-chan inquired.

''His name is Ichigo, Kurosaki Ichigo.''

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**Thank you very much for reading! *bow gratefully***

**English is not my native language, my Deepest ****Apologies**** for any incorrect grammar and tenses you find. Please tell me what you think.**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Sakura was a nice girl that wanted to see everyone happy. In my head canon, she grew up to become a wise sorcerer and helped Yue with his emotional recovery from Clow's death.**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach****or Card Captor Sakura. Any concept you did not recognised may or may not belong to me, however.**

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1.

''Yue, wake up.'' The voice pierced through his consciousness like drop of dew falling into a still water. Yue opened his eyes slowly, and greeted by the face he had not seen for fifty years. The man had aged, but, despite the gray hair and wrinkles, he would always recognise that face anywhere.

''Greeting my old friend. How, is life treating you lately?'' The Moon Guardian inquired before propping himself up to a sitting position. He examined his surroundings. Green grasses, tall, shady trees that lined up the both sides of the cement road, and a lone water fountain on his left, all pointed out that he was in a park.

''My life is as good as it get.'' Ishida Souken said. ''I bless with a son, however,'' He sighed sadly. ''Saying I am a good father would be a blatant lie, and unfortunately, Ryuuken has follow my example in that regard.''

''Hmm, you have a very tough life there.'' Yue said, tucking a lock of silver hair behind his ear. ''But just like my mistress always say, 'everything is going to be all right'.''

''We can only hope for the best.'' The aged Quincy nodded.

''So, what are you doing here Yue?'' He inquired. ''Where is Lady Sakura and your brother?''

Yue's expression turned solemn. ''My mistress has pass away, and my brother is in the book, guarding the cards. As for why I am here, I am waiting for her heir to appear.''

''So, Lady Sakura has coming home?'' Souken said quietly, his blue eyes faraway. ''You have my condolence.'' He bowed.

''Thank you'' Yue inclined his head.

''So what are you going to do while waiting?'' The old Quincy inquired.

Yue shrugged. ''I do not know yet, I am just waking up.'' He said.

''So, you have no place to stay?''

''No,''

''Then, how, about you stay with me? This old man can do with a company.'' He said. ''And I really miss your cooking and pastry.''

Yue chuckled. ''I guess, I could not say no, but you have better leave the house chores to me.''

Souken shot him an indignant glare. ''Hey now, I am not a messy slacker anymore. For your information, I am a very competent chef.'' He said, puffing his chest with proud.

Yue laughed ''Oh really?'' He inquired, raising his eyebrow. ''Well, you have to prove it to me then.''

''Very well,'' He said in a tone of a warrior going to a battle. ''I will cook you my best dishes and show you my new self. Now, follow me to my house.'' He said, rising to his feet and trudging out of the park.

Smiling, Yue followed the Last Quincy, falling into step beside him.

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**Thank you very much for reading! *bow gratefully***

**English is not my native language, my Deepest****Apologies****for any incorrect grammar and tenses you find. Please tell me what you think.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach****or Card Captor Sakura. Any concept you did not recognised may or may not belong to me, however.**

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2.

Walking down on the curb, the 14 years old Kurosaki Ichigo looked down at his sisters and smiled. Today was 15 of July, his birthday, the three siblings celebrated by taking a walk to the town and visiting places that their thoughts were deemed interesting.

''So, where, will we go now?'' Yuzu inquired.

Ichigo looked up to the sky. ''Ah, what do you think about ramen?''

''But I already plan to cook your favourite food tonight.'' Yuzu pouted.

''Then, what do you think about ice cream?''

Karin shook his head. ''We already have ice cream just three hours ago.''

''Umm, we go to the park perhaps?'' He shrugged.

''We already go there.'' Karin rolled her eyes.

Ichigo scowled.

''How, about we go there?'' Yuzu said, pointing at the second-hand bookstore at end of the alley. The words 'Cherry Blossom Second Hand Book Shop' etched on the window on the left side of the door in italic.

''Maybe, we could find Shakespearean or another interesting books there.'' Yuzu said, smiling.

''Hmm, let us have a look then.'' Ichigo said, walking over to the bookstore.

The doorbell soft chimed echoed loudly through the silence, alerting their presence in the shop. The redhead half-expected for an old man with an eye that shone like a moon to jump out from behind one of the shelf. However, instead of an old man, an angel walked out to greet them.

The Kurosaki siblings stared at her beauty in awe. Obvious reason aside, the young woman exuded a peculiar aura that made people could not help but looking at her. She was clad in business suit that hide all of her curves yet magnified her beauty, giving her an androgynous appearance. Long, silvery hair tied in a loose ponytail draped over her shoulder. Behind the frameless spectacle, her silvery-blue eyes twinkled like the stars in the night sky.

''Good afternoon Sir, Ladies,'' She said with a deep, husky voice. Ichigo looked like a bridge dropped over his head. ''Is there anything I could help you with?'' She — no, _he_ inquired.

''You are so pretty Lady.'' Yuzu said.

''Why thank you,'' The woman — no, the man smiled. ''But, I am a man, not a woman.''

''Oh, I am sorry.'' Yuzu flushed.

The effeminate man laughed softly. ''It is all right, you are not the first person that has mistaken my gender.'' He said. ''My name is Reed, what kind of books you are looking for?'' He inquired. ''We have a large variety of rare books here.''

''Umm, we are not sure yet.'' Ichigo said, rubbing the back of his head. ''Do you mind if we have look around?''

''Of course not,'' Reed said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. ''I will be in the counter if you need me.'' He said before striding over to the counter that stood facing the window, and began to immense himself in his work.

The three siblings looked at each other.

''So, where, do we start?'' Karin inquired after a moment of silence.

''How, about we start from literature section?'' Ichigo said.

Karin shrugged, and then, she grabbed her twin's hand and pulled her toward literature section. Ichigo followed them from behind.

The shop resembled more of a grand library instead of a second hand bookshop. Old tomes lined up neatly in the tall, wood shelf. Each copy sorted chronologically by the year when it first published, and by the alphabet of the countries its authors came from. Despite being second hand, the books' condition almost had no different from the new one. It was apparent that Reed took a great care to preserve each copy in its best condition.

One peculiar book caught his eyes, Ichigo halted on his stepped.

He pulled the book out off the shelf and looked at its cover. The image of winged, golden lion stood fiercely behind chained-sun as if guarding the content from an enemy — which was a bit ridiculous considering the book, bright pink colour. Ichigo's gaze wandered at the word above the winged star hanging over the lion's head.

''Onii-chan, do you find something?'' Yuzu inquired. She and Karin walked over to him, but he hardly noticed them.

Ichigo stared at the six-letter word in entrance. Something in him compelled him to say the word a loud.

''Sakura'' He whispered.

A golden circle with the symbol of star between the sun and the moon, surrounded by twelve-point stars with three squares and twelve occidental zodiacs glowed under Ichigo's feet.

Then, the flash of blinding light swallowed everything.

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**Thank you very much for reading! *bow gratefully***

**English is not my native language, my Deepest****Apologies****for any incorrect grammar and tenses you find. Please tell me what you think.**


End file.
